Driving bracket for point detector mechanisms



ch 1957 I H. BONE ETAL 2,786,939

DRIVING BRACKET FOR POINT DETECTOR MECHANISMS Filed June 19, 1953. 2 She ets-Sheet 1 I w 4 11 w 11" 5 14 10' 160 a J a G o 16a 10' I 12 Q .5 J 1 1 II [ILL/III II I I, Z fl 4647 INVENTORS.

Herbert L. Bone and BY Glen lfifi'ifiers'on wksm THEIR A T TOR/V EY March 26, 1957 H. L. BONE ETAL 2,786,939

DRIVING BRACKET FOR POINT DETECTOR MECHANISMS I Filed June 19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 25 24 25 22 52C/52a/ 29 28a I I) K l /1 I L 5*: 27a 22 22b 52a 52a 55 26b 28c 25 2a 5 I Fly. 4.

m 521 525- 52a l l -.?7a 27 '29 27b 52a 22 222' i -2ab-2g 2a 2811 Fig? 5. )21 25 INVENTORS. 5g gig/ Herbert L. Bone and I y Glen. V Jefferson 52 221;

Fig 6. 4 W

THEIR ATTORNEY DRIVING BRACKET FOR POINT DETECTOR MECHANISMS Herbert L. Bone, Forest Hills, and Glen V. Jeiferson, Edgewood, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsyl- Vania Application .Iune 19, 1953, Serial No. 362,806

10 Claims. (Cl. 246-253) Our present invention relates to railway switch operating apparatus, and particularly to a point detector mechanism forming a part of the circuit controller of a switch operating apparatus.

Railway switch operating apparatus normally comprises a motive means for moving the points of a railway switch from their normal position to a reverse position and from the reverse position back to their normal position. The switch operating apparatus also comprises a circuit controller for operating indication contacts in the electrical circuits of the signals governing trafiic over the switch in accordance with the switch condition. Lock rods are also included to lock the points in their positions against the stock rails. A point detector mechanism forms a part of the circuit controller of such railway switch operating apparatus, the point detector mechanism being provided in the event the switch fails to lock up properly or is trailed and the switch points are damaged so that they do not close properly with the stock rails. The point detector mechanism is connected with the switch points and operable thereby, the point detector mechanism providing an overriding control of the circuit controller indication contacts when the switch points fail to close properly with their respective med rails to seta restrictive signal governing trafiic over the switch.

In one type of railway switch operating apparatus, the point detector mechanism comprises a point detector connecting rod with a turnbuckle adjustment interconnecting the switch points with a crank arm. The crank arm in turn is connected to a cam driving bracket of the circuit controller, the cam moved by the driving bracket cooperating with the contact shifter plates of the circuit controller. In the event of a trailed switch and the failure of a particular switch point to abut the stock rail, the driving bracket is shifted so that the cam thereof shifts one of the contact shifter plates of the circuit controller to actuate the indication contacts.

1 ited States Patent To make such adjustments to the point detector mech I anism under heavy traflic conditions, this procedure is often quite difiicult to do and is therefore infrequently followed.

It is therefore an object of our present invention to provide for a point detector mechanism of a railway switch movement, a driving bracket assembly whereby fine adjustments may be made in the actuation of the indication contacts of the circuit controller by the point detector mechanism without the necessity of disconnecting the lock rods of the switch movement or the adjusting of the point detector linkage system.

According to our invention the point detector mechanism of a switch movement similar to that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,000,860 issued on May 7, 1935, to William C. McWhirter et al. for Railway Switch Operating Apparatus, is provided with a cam driving bracket assembly which is connected to the switch points through a crank and linkage system. Supported by the driving bracket assembly in a slidable manner are two cam members, each cam memher being individually adjustable to provide a fine adjustment for the point detector mechanism for both the normal and reverse positions of the switch points. The bracket assembly is formed with suitable openings to provide support for two eccentric headed bolts, an eccentric headed bolt being provided for each of the cam members. The eccentric heads of the bolts cooperate with suitable slots provided in the cam members whereby, upon proper rotation of these bolts, the cam mem-- bers supported by the driving bracket may be shifted relative to the driving bracket. The shifting of the cam members provides an adjustment of the point of travel of'the driving bracket at which the cam members supported thereby actuate the contact actuating members of the switch movement circuit controller. The cam driving bracket assembly provided by us is further characterized by the novel clamping means for the cam members formed by the eccentric headed bolts and the means slidably supporting the cam members on the bracket assembly.

Other objects and characteristic features of our invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

We shall describe one form of a cam driving bracket assembly for a switch movement point detector mechanism embodying our invention, and shall then point out order to provide the proper movement of the driving bracket, adjustments to the lengths of the connecting rod and crank arm interconnecting the switch points with the driving bracket are necessary; the turnbuckle of the connecting rod being rotated to adjust the length of the connecting rod and threaded means provided on the crank arm turned to adjust the length of the crank arm. These adjustments are considered of a coarse nature. Although such adjustments are made when the switch movement is initially installed, the vibration due to the pounding of the trains over the rails may disturb such initial adjustments so that adjustments of the point detector linkage system are required after installation of the switch movement. In making such adjustments, the lock rod of the movement is ordinarily disconnected so that shims of proper thickness may be inserted between the switch points and the 'stock rails to determine accurately the point of actuation of the circuit controller indication contacts by the point detector mechanism.

the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a circuit controller forming a part of a switch and lock movement, a portion of the cover of the circuit controller being broken away to show details of construction.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line IIII of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a schematic drawing of the point detector mechanism illustrating its connection with the switch points of a railway switch.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the novel cam bracket incorporating our invention.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the cam bracket, portions thereof being shown in section; while Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line Vi-VI of Fig. 5.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring now in detail to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the reference character 1 designates a circuit controller of a railway switch operating apparatus of the type more fully illustrated and described in the aforesaid patent issued to McWhirter et al. The circuit controller 1 is used for controlling signals or other traffic governing devices in accordance with the positions of the switch operated by the switch operating. apparatus. A compartment 2 is provided in the enclosure 3 of the switch operating apparatus for enclosing the elements of the circuit controller.

The circuit controller 1 comprises three terminal boards 4, 5 and 6 of insulating material secured in spaced parallel relation to a bracket 7 within the compartment 2. Secured to the central terminal board 5 is a first set of resilient contact fingers 8 and a second set of resilient contact fingers 9. Each contact finger 8 cooperates at its free end with a pair of fixed contact fingers 10 and 11 secured to the terminal board 4. The free end of each of the contact fingers 9 cooperates with a pair of fixed contact fingers 12 and 13' secured to the terminal board 6. The resilient contact fingers 8 and) are moved into and out of engagement with their respective fixed contact fingers by means of shifter plates 14 and 15 which are mounted for longitudinal movement between the center terminal board 5 and the outer terminal boards 4 and 6. The outer ends of the shifter. plates 14 and 15 are beveled as at 14a and 15a, respectively, for purposes hereinafter appearing. Adjustably secured to the shifter plates as by screws 16a are contact actuators 16 for engaging the opposite sides of each of the resilient contact fingers 8 and 9. The shifter plates 14 and 15 are moved longitudinally by connecting rods 17' (only one being illustrated in Fig. 2) in accordance with the positions of the switch, as more fully described in the aforesaid patent.

The outer end of the frame 7 is formed with a shallow groove 18 extending transversely to the shifter plates 14 and 15. Slidably secured within the groove 18 as by plates 19 and screws 20, is the driving bracket assembly 21 embodying our invention.

The driving bracket assembly 21 (Figs. 4 to 6) comprises a driving bracket 22 provided with two spaced, upstanding members 23, the space between the two members being hereinafter referred to as the driving notch.

24. For reasons hereinafter appearing, the outer ends oi?v the bracket 22 are slotted along the longitudinal center line. of. the bracket as at 25. Two openings 26 are also provided inthe bracket 22, the openings being symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal center line of the bracket. Adjustably secured to the bottom of the driving bracket are two flat, elongated cam members 27 and 28, the outer ends and sides of which. extend beyond the ends and sides of the. driving bracket. As will hereinafter appear, the cam members 27 and 28v are adaptedv to coact withthe, shifter plates 14 and 15 to control the operation of the contacts of the circuit. controller, the outer ends of the cam members being beveled as at 27a and 28a,

' respectively, for this purpose. 7

The cam members 27 and 28 are each secured to the slotted ends of the driving bracket by a bolt, 29 passing upwardly through a suitable countersunk opening and through the slots 25; a lock nut 30 and washer- 31 securing each member. The cam members are further secured by. means of eccentric headedbolts 32, each of'the bolts comprising a. circular head or cam 32a and an eccentrically positioned, upstanding stem 32b which is threaded at its. free end and provided with a. slot 320 in its outer end. The cam members 27 and 28 are each formed with a transverse slot 271) and 28b, respectively, the width of the slot beingapproximately the diameter of the circular heads 32a of the bolts 32. Elongated slots 27c and 28c are also provided in the respective cam members which are off center with respect to the longitudinal center lines of the members (Fig. 6), the ends of said elongated slots registering tangentially with the inner side walls of the transverse slots. The stems 32b of the bolts 32 pass upwardly through the slots 27c, 280 in the cam members and through the registering openings 26 in the driving bracket, self locking nuts 33 on the threaded stem ends serving to tighten the bolts 32 to clamp the camrnembers to the driving bracket.

From the foregoing description of the driving bracket assembly, it will be apparent that the positions of the cam members 27 and 28 relative to the driving bracket 22 may be readily changed by loosening the nuts 30 and 33. A screw driver may be inserted in the slots 32c provided in the ends of the bolts 32 and the eccentric bolt heads 32:: rotated. The circular bolt heads 3211 will abut the sides of the groove 27a or 28a to move the respective cam members longitudinally with respect to the driving bracket. It should be noted that with the oif center locations of the openings 26 in the bracket and the slots 27c and 230 in the cam members, and the tangential registry of the ends of the slots 27c and 23c with the inner sides of the grooves 27b and 28b, respectively, together with the eccentric bolt heads 32a, the cam members may be moved a maximum distance relative to the driving bracket, the extremes of the distance being attained upon 180 rotation of the bolts 32. As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the cam members 27 and 2% are in their outermost positions. The rotation of the bolts 180 will move the two members to their innermost positions. The slots 25 in the ends of the driving bracket permit the bolts 29 carried by the members to move inwardly toward the center of the bracket, the siots 27c and 280 permitting the cam members to be moved past the stems 3212. After the positions of the cam members relative to the driving bracket have been adjusted, the nuts 30 and 33 are then tightened to secure the cam members in their adjusted positions.

The driving bracket assembly 21 described is moved longitudinally in its groove 18 upon movement of the switch points 34, 34a of the railway switch 35' (Fig. 3). The switch points 34, 341: are adapted to be moved from their normal. position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which position the switch point 34:: abuts the stock rail 36:2 to the reverse position in which the switch point 3d abuts the stock rail 36 by switch operating apparatus (not illustrated) of which the circuit controller herein illus trated forms a part.

Secured to the switch points in the usual manner is lug 37 supporting, a stud 33.. Pivoted to the end of the stud is a point detector connecting rod 39 which is adjustably secured to a link 49 by a turnbuckle 4-1. The link 40. in turn is pivoted: to a second adjustable link forming a part of a crank arm 43. The crank arm 43 ir; secured to a shaft 44" suitably journaled through the side of the compartment 2. Secured to the inner end of the shaft 44 is a crank arm 45 having pivoted to its outer end, as on pinfi, a driving block 47. The driving blocf: 47 fits in the notch 24 between the members 23 of the driving bracket 21.

When the switch operating apparatus of which the circuit controller herein" described may form a part, has moved the switch 35 to its normal position (Fig. 3), the driving bracket assembly will be in the position illustrated. As more fully detailed in the aforesaid patent,

' when the switchv operating apparatus reverses the switch 35, the connecting rod'17will' be operated to move the shifter plate id upwardly as seen in Fig. 3, and the shifter plate 15 will be moved downwardly'by its connecting rod when the driving bracket assembly has been moved by the switch points to its extreme right-hand position shown in the phantom lines. Theoperation of the driving bracket assemblyis suchthat the various sets of con tacts provided in the circuit controller are operated in theirus'ual manner upon operation of the switch operatingapparatus. In-the event-the switch 35 isin either its normal-or reverse position or the switch fails to loci: up properly, the action of" the driving bracket assembly is such as to provide an overriding control for the circuit controllercontacts'.

Assumin'gthat thel switch 35 is in its normal position as: illustrated in Fig. 3 and-the: switch is trailed, the trailed points of the switch will move. the-point detector connecting rod to the left to move the driving bracket assembly tothe right. ,The beveled :surface 28a on the. cam member 28 willengage the beveled surface .1400? the shifter plate v14, to move the shifter plate 14 upwardly,

thereby opening the contacts 811'and closing the contacts 8-10. The opening of the contacts 8-11 will, in accordance with standard practice, set a restrictive signal for trafiic moving over the switch 35. With the switch. 35 in its reverse position and the switch trailed, the

shifter plate 15, being in its lower position since the switch is in its reverse position, will be moved upwardly upon movement of the driving bracket assembly to the left upon engagement of the beveled surface 27:: of the cam member 27 and the beveled surface of the shifter plate 15. The contacts 9--13 which are closed when the switch 35 is in its reverse position will thus be opened and the contacts 9-12 closed.

In the event the switch operating apparatus moves the switch 35 to its reverse or normal position and the switch points 34 and 34a fail to abut their respective stock rails, the point detector connecting rod will not be moved the full distance, thereby leaving the driving bracket assembly in some intermediate position other than its proper extreme positions. With the driving bracket assembly in an intermediate position, the travel of the corresponding shifter plate will be stopped short of its extreme position upon abutment of the end of the shifter plate with the cam member. In this instance a restrictive signal will again be set by the contacts of the circuit controller.

The driving bracket assembly herein provided for the circuit controller of a switch operating apparatus makes possible the quick and easy adjustment for the proper operation of the circut controller contacts. In prior devices, in order to adjust for the proper operation of the circuit controller contacts,.the disconnection of the lock rods of the switch and the adjustment of the linkage comprising the point detector mechanism were required. The adjustment of the point detector mechanism required the adjustment of link 42 to shorten or lengthen the throw of the crank arm and it also required the adjustment of the turnbuckle for the same purpose. While these adjnstments could be readily made upon installation of the switch operating apparatus, such adjustments were difficult to make after installation, particularly in territories of heavy rail traffic.

With the present driving bracket assembly, the maintainer equipped with the proper feeler gauges need only open the circuit controller compartment and with the aid of a wrench loosen the two pin and slot connections of the cam members, and make the necessary adjustments of the cam members with a screw driver to adjust the operation of the circuit controller contacts. With the pres ent arrangement of the driving bracket assembly there is no need for disconnecting the lock rods or making any adjustments to the effective lengths of the point detector linkages.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of a driving bracket assembly embodying our invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. An adjustable coupling comprising, two longitudinally adjustable members, a bolt elfective when tightened to clamp said members in their adjusted positions, said bolt being provided with an eccentric portion cooperating with one of said members and effective upon rotation to move the one member relative to the other member; the eccentric portion of said bolt forming a clamping means to clamp said members together upon tightening said bolt.

2. An adjustable coupling comprising, a first member formed with a through opening, a second member formed with a slot and a slotted opening registering with theslot therein, and a bolt received in said openings and having a cam member received within the slot of said second member, said second memberbeing movable relative to said; first member upon rotation of said cam member by the abutment of said cam member with the sides of said slot, said cam member being effective when said bolt is tightened to clamp said members in their adjusted positions.

3. An adjustable coupling comprising, a first member formed with a through opening, a second member formed with a slot and a slotted opening registering with the slot therein, an eccentric headed bolt having a head portion and a. threaded stem portion, the stem portion passing through the openings in the said members, said head portion being received within the slot of said second member whereby said second member may be moved relative to said first member upon rotation of said eccentric headed bolt by the abutment of saidhead portion with the sides of said slot, and means for tightening said eccentric headed bolt for clamping said second member to said first member.

4. An adjustable coupling comprising a first elongated member formed with a longitudinally disposed slotted opening and a through opening disposed cit-center with respect to the longitudinal axis of said first member; a second elongated member formed with a transverse slot in the bottom face thereof and a longitudinally disposed slotted opening registering with the transverse slot, said slotted opening being off-center with respect to the longitudinal axis of said second member; means including said slotted opening in said first member for adjustably securing said second member to said first member, an eccentric headed bolt for clamping said second member to said first member, said bolt including a circular head portion having a diameter substantially equal to the width of the transverse slot in said second member and a stem portion normal to and eccentric with said head portion, said stem portion passing through the slotted opening in said second member and through the through opening in said first member, the head portion of the bolt being received Within the transverse slot in said second member whereby said second member may be moved longitudinally relative to said first member upon rotation of the bolt, and means for tightening said bolt to clamp said second member to said first member by said head portion.

5. A driving bracket assembly forming a part of a point detector mechanism of a railway switch operating apparatus and adapted to coact with the shifter plates of the circuit controller forming a part of the switch operating apparatus, comprising two cam members each provided with cam surfaces for engaging the circuit controller shifter plates, said cam members being formed with a slot and a slotted opening registering with the slot therein; a bracket member for supporting said cam members in spaced relation, said bracket member being formed with through openings intermediate the ends, means for adjustably securing said cam members to said bracket member, two eccentric headed bolts having a head or cam portion and a stem portion for clamping said cam members to said bracket member, said stem portions passing through the slotted openings in said cam members and through the through openings in said bracket member, said cam portions of the bolt being received within the cam member slots; means for tightening said bolts to clamp said cam members to said bracket member; each of said cam members being adapted to be moved relative to said bracketmember by the cam portions of said bolts abutting the sides of the cam member slots when the respective bolts for said cam members are rotated; and means on said bracket member forming a driving connection for the driving bracket assembly by the switch points of a railway switch.

6. A driving bracket assembly forming a part of a point detector mechanism of a railway switch operating apparatus and adapted to coact-with the shifter plates of the circuit controller forming a part of the switch operating apparatus, comprising two cam members each provided grasses with cam surfaces; for engaging the circuit controller shifter plates, said cam members being formed with a slot in the bottom face thereof'a'nd a slotted opening registering with the slot therein; a bracket member for supporting said cam members in spaced relation, said bracket member being formed with slotted ends and through Openings intermediate the ends, means for adjustably securing said cam members to the slotted ends of said bracket member, two eccentric headed bolts having a head or cam portion and a stem portion for clamping said cam members to said bracket member, the stem portions passing through the slotted openings in said cam members and through the through openings in said bracket member, the cam portions being received within the cam member slots; means for tightening said bolts to clamp said cam members to said bracket member; each of said cam members being adapted to be moved relative to said bracket member by the cam portions of said bolts abutting the sides of said cam member slots when the respective bolts of said cam members are rotated, and means on said bracket member forming a driving connection for the driving bracket assembly by the switch points of a railway switch.

7. A driving bracket assembly forming a part of a point detector mechanism of a railway switch operating apparatus and adapted to coact with the shifter plates of the circuit controller forming a part of the switch operating apparatus, comprising two cam members each pro-- vided with cam surfaces for engaging the circuit controller shifter plates, said cam members being formed with a slot in the bottom face thereof and a slotted opening registering with the slot therein; a bracket member for supporting said cam members in spaced relation, said bracket member being formed with slotted ends and through openings intermediate the ends, means for adjustably securing said cam members to the slotted ends of said bracket member, two eccentric headed bolts having a circular head or cam portion and a stem portion for clamping said cam members to said bracket member, the cam portions having diameters substantially equal to the width of the slots in said cam members, the stem portions passing through the slotted openings in said cam members and through the through openings in said bracket member, the cam portions of the bolts being received within the cam member slots; means for tightening said bolts to clamp said cam members to said bracket member; each of said cam members being adpted to be moved relative to said bracket member by the cam portions abutting the sides of the cam member slots when the respective bolts of said cam members are rotated, and means on said bracket member forming a driving connection for the driving bracket assembly by the switch points of a railway switch.

8. A driving bracket assembly forming a part of point detector mechanism of a railway switch operating apparatus and adapted to coact with the shifter plates of the circuit controller forming a part of the switch operating apparatus, comprising two elongated cam members each provided with cam surfaces for engaging the circuit controller shifter plates, said cam members being formed with a transverse slot in the bottom face thereof and a longitudinal slotted opening registering with the transverse slot therein; said slotted openings being off-center with respect to the longitudinal center line of the cam members; an elongated bracket member for supporting said cam members in spaced. relation, said bracket member being formed with slotted ends and through openings intermediate the ends thereof and symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal center line of the bracket member, means for adjustably securing said cam members to the slotted ends of said bracket member, two eccentric headed bolts having a cam portion and a stem portionfor clamping said cammembers to said bracket member, the stem portions passing through the slotted openings in said cam members and through the through openings in said bracket member, the cam portions being received within the cam member slots; means for tightening said bolts to clamp said cam members to said bracket member; each of said cam members being adapted to be moved relative to said bracket member by the cam portions abutting the sides of the cam member slots when the respective bolts of said cam members are rotated, and means on said bracket member forming a driving connection for the driving bracket assembly by the switch points of a railway switch.

9. A driving bracket assembly forming a part of a point detector mechanism of railway switch operating apparatus and adapted to coact with the shifter plates of the circuit controller forming a part of the switch operating apparatus, comprising two elongated cam members each provided with cam surfaces for engaging the circuit controller shifter plates, said cam members being formed with a transverse slot in the bottom face thereof and a longitudinal slotted opening registering with the transverse slot therein; said slotted openings being off-center with respect to the longitudinal center line of the cam members; an elongated bracket member for supporting said cam members in spaced relation, said bracket member being formed with slotted ends and through openings intermediate the ends thereof and symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal center line of the bracket member, means for adjustably securing said cam members to said bracket member and permitting longitudinal movement of said cam members relative to said bracket member, two eccentric headed bolts having a circular head or cam portion and a stem portion for clamping said cam members to said bracket member, the cam portions of the bolts having diameters substantially equal to the width of the transverse slots in said cam m mbers; the

stem portions passing through the slotted openings in said cam members and through the through openings in said bracket member, means for tightening said bolts to clamp said cam members to said bracket member; each of said cam members being adapted to be moved longitudinally with respect to said bracket member when the respective bolts of said cam members are rotated, and means on said bracket member forming a driving connection for the driving bracket assembly by the switch points of a railway switch.

10. A driving bracket assembly forming a part of a point detector mechanism of a railway switch operating apparatus and adapted to coact with the shifter plates of the circuit controller forming a part of the switch operating apparatus, comprising two elongated cam members each provided with cam surfaces for engaging the circuit controller shifter plates, said cam members being formed with a transverse slot in the bottom face thereof and a longitudinal slotted opening registering with the transverse slot therein; said slotted openings being olfcenter with respect to the longitudinal center line of the cam members; an elongated bracket member for supporting said cam members in spaced relation, said bracket member being formed with slotted ends and through openings intermediate the ends thereof and symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal center line of the bracket member, means for adjustably securing said cam members to the slotted ends of said bracket member, two eccentric headed bolts having a circular head or cam portion and a stem portion for clamping said cam members to said bracket member, the cam portions of the bolts having diameters substantially equal to the width of the transverse slots in said cam members; the stem portions passing through the slotted openings in said cam members and through the through openings in said bracket member, the cam portions being received within the cam member slots; means for tightening the bolts to clamp said cam members to said bracket member; each of said cam members being adapted to be moved longitudinally with respect to said bracket member by the cam portions abutting the" sides of the cam member slots when the respective bolts of said cam members are rotated, and means on said bracket member forming a driving connection for the driving bracket assembly by the switch points of a railway switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 692,052 Forster Jan. 28, 1902 

